A jargon-free journey through the world of social media.

June 07, 2010

New iPhone debut is heavy on media, light on social.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the hypnotic launch video for the new iPhone 4, which adds a bucket of features and hardware improvements:

What's interesting is how, while most new devices talk up their integration with social media tools, Apple instead positions the iPhone as a social device unto itself.

I'm not necessarily complaining. Honestly, I've gotten a bit tired of how many phones seem to take credit for how they "keep you connected," when all they've really done is incorporate work done by Facebook, Twitter and third-party application developers.

Apple's been just as guilty by featuring apps as a signature selling point of the iPhone.

But the new iteration of the iPhone definitely puts hardware in the front seat, with a two-way camera system that enables video chat anywhere you can find a wi-fi signal. The physical improvements to the phone's outer shell are also pretty impressive, especially for those of us who've heard the horrifying crack of an iPhone on concrete.

Critics say that Apple missed an opportunity to keep pace with Google, which has beefed up the Android platform's streaming and syncing abilities. But I think Apple was mostly burned by how many of its new features were leaked prior to launch, making it a lot harder to get people excited about structural improvements that come on the hills of the far more buzzworthy iPad launch.

So what do you think? Any of the new features make you want to rush out and upgrade or switch over from worthy foes like the HTC EVO 4G and Droid?